Environment Rules

Composting - San Francisco, CA, Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:58:03 -0500

The City of San Francisco has some of the most progressive recycling regulations in the country. These regulations were further strengthened in June 2009 when the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance requiring all city residents to separate food scraps, recyclable material, and trash into three separate curbside containers (blue for recycling, black for trash, and green for composting). Starting in 2011 the City will be able to impose fines on those who do not effectively separate these materials. The fine will be $100 for small businesses and single occupancy homes and up to $1,000 for large businesses and multi-unit buildings.

Composting - Minnesota Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:59:49 -0500

Minnesota has been a leader in promoting composting for many years. In 2009, the state passed a law that mandates all yard trimmings generated in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area cannot be collected in plastic bags as of January 2010. The intent of the law is to prevent non-biodegradable plastic from entering composting facilities. The compostable bag law was an amendment to the existing yard trimmings diversion law (stipulating that yard trimmings may not be sent to landfills and instead must be composted) that went into effect statewide in 1994.

Composting - Pennsylvania Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 11:29:01 -0500

Pennsylvania, like many other states, has regulations that prohibit yard trimmings in landfills. Pennsylvania’s ban is less encompassing than many states, including Massachusetts and Minnesota, which ban yard trimmings in landfills regardless of their source of generation. Pennsylvania has made a general permit available that will allow farmers to compost “yard waste, source-separated food scraps from food markets, grocery stores, food banks, food distribution centers, school cafeterias, and institutions, source-separated newspaper, and source-separated corrugated paper (cardboard).” After composting, the material is no longer considered waste and the farmer can sell or distribute the material.

Composting - New York Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:07:13 -0500

New York requires agricultural composters who accept any amount of food scraps from off-site to apply for a permit. In addition to the permit requirement, composters must adhere to specific performance standards including methods of vector and pathogen reduction. Some non-food materials, including animal manure and no more than 3,000 cubic yards of yard trimmings per year, may be conditionally exempt from the permit requirement.

Composting - Massachusetts Rules and Programs

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:36:13 -0500

Massachusetts allows certain types of composting operations to be conditionally exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit as long as specific performance standards are met. These operations include leaf composters who have less than 10,000 tons on-site at one time. Many other types of on-farm composting, including up to 20 cubic yards per day of vegetative scraps or 5 tons per day of food material, are permitted if a registration is submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture and performance standards are met.

Composting - Rhode Island Rules and Programs

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:38:52 -0500

Rhode Island requires most small-scale composters to submit a registration to the state. Certain composting activities such as applying agricultural manures or composting agricultural by-products produced on-site may be conducted without a registration. In order for an agricultural composter to accept paper, yard trimmings, or food scraps from off-site they must receive approval from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

Composting - Iowa Rules and Programs

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:53:30 -0500

Iowa has some good regulations to encourage on-farm, small-scale food scrap composting. The rules allow composters to accept up to two tons of food scraps from off-site per week without obtaining a solid waste permit. The composters must comply with specific site and operating requirements or their exempt status may be revoked. Facilities composting over two tons of food residuals and yard waste per week in any combination from off premises must obtain a permit and adhere to the solid waste composting requirements stipulated in state rules.

Composting - Florida Rules and Programs

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:53:04 -0500

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection recently revised Chapter 62-709 of the Administrative Code, which regulates composting operations. The Department also revised several related forms including the Application for a Permit to Construct/Operate a Solid Waste Management Facility for the Production of Compost and the Annual Report form. The changes should make it easier to compost in Florida and smaller facilities may qualify as a pilot projec with reduced regulatory oversight.

Composting - Maine Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:18:41 -0500

Maine adopted new state composting rules on February 18, 2009. The state legislature mandated that the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection collaborate to ease the regulatory burden on agricultural composting operations and revise the volume and types of materials that may be composted without a permit from the state. The state must differentiate between composters processing “municipal sludge, septage, industrial sludge or other materials with a higher risk of contamination” and agricultural composting operations, which are defined as “composting that takes place on a farm and uses only animal manure, animal carcasses and offal, fish waste, leaves, wood chips, animal bedding and other vegetative waste, produce and other vegetable and food waste.”

Composting - California Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:46:08 -0500

California has thorough regulations that are specifically tailored to composting. Most composting operations are required to apply for a permit; however there are exemptions for some types of operations. For example, facilities that have less than 500 cubic yards of compost on-site, of which less than 10 percent is food scraps, are exempt from the requirement to obtain a permit. In addition, in-vessel composting of up to 50 cubic yards is allowed without a permit. Composting operations that are deemed a greater risk of causing environmental harm are required to either notify the enforcement agency or apply for a full permit.

Composting - Washington Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:01:51 -0500

Washington has comprehensive composting regulations that facilitate composting by conditionally exempting several types of composting facilities – including those that process limited amounts of food scraps – from the requirement to obtain a permit. Washington also aims to protect the environment and human health by requiring composters to test for pathogens and adhere to specific performance-based standards.

Composting - Oregon Rules and Programs

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:46:37 -0500

Oregon has complete and pragmatic composting regulations, which aim to both facilitate composting and prevent nuisance to the public or any adverse environmental consequences. Oregon revised its composting regulations in 2009. Oregon's conditional exemptions for small-scale and agricultural compost facilities, specific site requirements that must be fulfilled to receive a permit, and ongoing performance standards that must be maintained are described.